


deals with the devil (and his son)

by johnjaemark



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Arranged Marriage, As In Extremely Slow Burn, M/M, Older Brother!Johnny, Prince of Hell!Donghyuck, Slow Burn, mention of illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27960509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaemark/pseuds/johnjaemark
Summary: Johnny would do anything for his little sister, even if it means making a deal with the devil and his son in order to save her life.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48
Collections: NCT Bigbang Round 1





	deals with the devil (and his son)

Johnny Seo did not have many beliefs. He wasn’t sure if he would actually categorize himself as an atheist, but he wasn’t all that religious either. He didn’t pray and he didn’t call out to any gods asking them to help do his bidding. However, standing outside a hospital with the night wrapping around his shoulders and the stars hanging over his head, he wondered why he hadn’t attended church more. If he had been more inclined to become a believer, to become a patronage to a man in the sky that listened to plea’s, he would have at least had an option. As it was, with his little sister inside stuck full of needles and a medicine that would slowly kill her as it saved her, he was limited on his options. 

When the doctor had looked upon Johnny with pitying dark orbs, Johnny knew what was about to come out of her mouth. She hadn’t needed to say anything for Johnny to understand that it was unlikely that Olivia would be with them much longer. Shame curled in the pit of his stomach, alongside dread and a distinct sensation of nausea. He shouldn’t have bolted through the doors the moment Olivia had drifted into a deep sleep, but he wasn’t sure he could stand there and watch her, wondering if that was how she would look when her heart came to a rest. 

He let out a choked sound that could have been distinguished as either a pitiful laugh or a half-sob. “Please…” He whispered into the dark, begging with anyone who would listen to him. “Please. She’s my little sister. She’s all I have left. Please don’t take her from me. God, please please please. She has so much life left to live.” 

Olivia was the sole family member he hung onto, and although Jaehyun and Taeil were some of the best friends he could have asked for, he wasn’t sure they would be enough when the time came. He knew that he would lose himself completely the moment he lost Olivia as well. 

“Please… I’d do anything for her. God, fuck, I think I’d even sell my soul for her.” 

The words echoed oddly with the way an overhang hovered above his head. The echo met his ears, tiny and small, almost as if it hadn’t been his mouth the words had come from. His back met the wall, using it as support to keep him on his feet. He had been awake for much too long now, running on pure fumes and caffeine. Had he had informed Taeil or Jaehyun of where he was, perhaps they would have berated him for forgetting to care for himself, but he would only get worse if Olivia were to pass away.

The parking lot on this side of the hospital was oddly empty, but Johnny chalked it up to the fact that there weren’t many cancer patients who were eager to get treatment this late at night. He hadn’t checked his phone in a while, wanting to preserve its dwindling battery life, but he figured it must have been well into the early morning at that point. With the lack of cars in the parking lot and the time of night, Johnny couldn’t help but startle at the sound of footsteps. 

He lifted his head, examining the general area for who the footfalls could belong to, and froze. 

The man standing before Johnny was terribly out of place. Where Johnny garbed a ratty hoodie and even rattier sweatpants, the man before him was dressed impeccably. There wasn’t a single hair out of place on the man’s head, the dark locks neatly trimmed and groomed, pushed away from his face. His suit jacket was crisp, lining his body perfectly, not a single wrinkle present on his pants or the jacket. His smile was blindingly bright and it was hard to look away, not from the beauty of it but the mischievousness that danced along his eyes and between his lips. 

Johnny cleared his throat, reaching up to rub at his red rimmed eyes. “Can I help you? Are you looking for someone inside?”

The man waved his hand dismissively, his grin still disarmingly cheerful. For being at a hospital so late into the night, the man seemed oddly relaxed, as if he was unaware that there were people inside that could be dying as they spoke. 

“I found who I was looking for,” the man said shortly, taking a step forward. The small step had allowed the man to crowd into Johnny’s space, his onyx eyes drinking in the state that Johnny was in. Johnny was fully aware that he was ridiculously tall (at least that’s what his friends told him), but the man made Johnny feel entirely too small in that moment. 

“You were… looking for me?” Johnny asked, uncertainty drenching his words. He wondered if he could chalk this up to exhaustion, that perhaps he was imagining things and that he ought to return inside and catch a couple hours of sleep. 

The man’s smile didn’t waver. “Yes. I heard you.”

Johnny tensed. He had thought that he had been alone when he had allowed his walls to crumble slightly, when he had allowed himself to beg for a miracle that wouldn’t come. To know that someone else had heard him wasn’t exactly embarrassing, more so a violation of his privacy that he couldn’t even begin to blame the stranger for. Before he could tell the man that he had no need to offer condolences or any other form of pity, the man was invading his space once more, hands cupping at Johnny’s cheeks.

Johnny released a small hiss of discomfort at how extremely  _ hot _ the man’s palms were against his skin. 

“I can help you,” the man said simply, as if what he was saying wasn’t entirely impossible. Olivia was dying and there was nothing that this stranger or Johnny could do to stop it. “Don’t speak. Just listen. You said you would sell your soul for your sister to live, did you not, Johnny Seo?”

Johnny bristled, his fight or flight response kicking in as the distinct feeling of something being  _ wrong _ settled into his bones. The man, as if anticipating this response, dropped his hands down to Johnny’s arms, holding him in place. His smile slipped slightly as his expression became stern, more demanding. Heart hammering in his chest, Johnny forced himself to go still, to listen to the man even if he was just a rambling lunatic. 

“My name is Changmin,” he continued smoothly, expression smoothing over into something bright once more. “You won’t know me as that name, though. Your kind would know me as Lucifer or Satan, or something equally awful. Changmin or Your Majesty is perfectly fine, though.” He paused, scrutinizing Johnny for a moment. “Shall we go inside and have a talk? Would you prefer to discuss this in the cafeteria?”

Johnny didn’t have an answer for that. He didn’t think that this man, Changmin, could make any part of this conversation comfortable. 

When Johnny didn’t answer, Changmin merely continued to speak. “I don’t want your soul, Johnny. I just want to strike up a deal with you. A deal, that I feel, is beneficial for both parties, not to mention extremely fair.”

“A deal?” Johnny croaked out, disbelieving.

“Yes, I don’t really do these sort of things anymore,” Changmin admitted, and if Johnny hadn’t known that he was the  _ Devil _ , he might have thought that Changmin sounded sheepish. “But desperate times call for desperate measures. I have this son, Johnny. My youngest, Donghyuck. He’s been quite the handful for me recently. I’ve tried to have his siblings attempt to handle him, but they’re having as much luck as I am.”

Johnny stared, waiting for Changmin to continue, waiting to see where he fit into the picture.

Changmin sighed, heavy and exhausted. “I want to descend from the throne, Johnny, to turn it over to my eldest. I can’t do that with Donghyuck being out of line, though. If he’s against the turning of tides, he could just as easily cause turmoil. In every realm, not just the Underworld.”

“He’s that powerful?” Johnny asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. A prince of Hell, a  _ bratty  _ prince of Hell at that, was certainly enough to catch his attention.

Changmin grimaced as he nodded. “He’s not even aware he’s that powerful. He has weight with some of his siblings, though, and if he wanted to overthrow my Junmyeon, he could. I’m fearful of what Donghyuck would do without me there to keep him in line. And that’s… that’s why I need  _ you _ .”

Johnny blinked, taken off guard. He wasn’t sure where Changmin had been going with this story, and how he would involve Johnny, but for some reason he hadn’t expected being directed drawn into this plot.

“I wish for you to become engaged to Donghyuck. You may stay part time in the Underworld and part time in your realm, to be with your sister. Help Donghyuck become a better prince, a better  _ man _ .”

“You think that I can do that? I’m just some human trying to make sure his sister makes it through another day!” Johnny barked, his frustration boiling over the edge. 

“A year,” Changmin replied, much too calm for Johnny’s liking. He also didn’t take too well to the note of pity in Changmin’s words, the pity that Johnny was all too familiar with since Olivia had been diagnosed. “If after one human calendar year, you haven’t helped him or you haven’t fallen in love, you may return to your human world and forget about this entire arrangement. Does that sound fair?”

Johnny was loath to admit it, but it did sound relatively fair. “What about Olivia? If it doesn’t work out will you…”

Changmin was quick to shake his head. “No. If this deal falls through, your sister will still be safe. After a year, the deal will be fulfilled and your sister will remain alive. You can have my word on it.”

If the situation hadn’t seemed so dire, perhaps Johnny would have laughed at the irony of trusting the devil’s word on something. If Johnny wasn’t so extremely desperate, he would have found the entire moment  _ laughable _ . He wasn’t even sure he remembered how to laugh, anymore. 

“Johnny?” Changmin was tentative, tip toeing around the shell of a man he was propositioning. “What do you say, hmm?”

Johnny knew what he should have said, he knew what any sane adult would have done. Except, he wasn’t so sane anymore. Watching the only family you had left, withering away in a hospital bed did things to you that were indescribable. He would have done anything to get Olivia out of that bed, to see her glowing and happy once more, to see her  _ whole _ once more. If she became whole again, if she became happy, perhaps Johnny would have the chance to become the same. 

Johnny reached out, offering his hand to Changmin, and as he did so a cloud passed over the moon, throwing them into total darkness. Perhaps it was indicative of the life that Johnny was about to embrace, but he was much too distracted by the mere fact that his life was changing at all. Change had the ability to do that, to blind a person to what was right in front of them as their eyes drifted to the turning point in their life. Johnny was just another fool, falling victim to change and it’s lure, to the devil and his smile. 

“Deal.”

*

Hell, or The Underworld, whatever preferred title you wished to deem it, wasn’t as awful as everyone depicted it to be. Perhaps it was fairly damp and gloomy and overgrown, but it was still a good enough reflection of the mortal world. Demons, although made of darkness, were creatures of comfort in certain aspects. Maybe, at one time they were able to withstand sleeping on the ground and eating the flesh of their victims, but that no longer seemed to hold true. Not in the version of Hell that King Changmin had fought tooth and nail to create. 

Even if mortals didn’t want to admit to the beauty to be found in Hell, it didn’t matter, because it was Donghyuck’s home and he loved it as such.

The grass that tickled at his ankles, damp and decaying, was as welcome to him as the sight of the mansion he was strolling towards. He couldn’t tell it based off of the sky, but it was mid-morning, much too early to be summoned to his father’s home in his own humble opinion. The summons hadn’t even come from his father directly, but rather from Junmyeon who had in turn sent a messenger. He wondered if or when they would trust him about getting cell service. 

Yerim was in agreement, but his brothers tended to flock together when it came to debates such as this (or at least that’s how it always felt to Donghyuck), and anyone with Junmyeon on their side would inevitably win. Junmyeon never took Donghyuck’s side. 

He had hardly made it to the door, when three figures flocked around him, protective and curious all at once. A fourth would have joined if not for the fact that he was standing guard at the doors of the mansion, eyes flickering over to Donghyuck’s tense form. Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun swarmed their prince with prying eyes, brimming with curiosity. The Underworld must be terribly boring lately if this was the most interesting bit of gossip they had to cling onto. Admittedly, it was a bit odd for the youngest prince to visit the family estate, something he avoided at all costs ever since he had moved off of the grounds. 

“Who called for you?” Jaemin questioned, unnaturally bright amber eyes burning with something similar to excitement. Donghyuck was of the opinion that it made his friend look like a feral cat, but if he said as such, Jaemin would take it as a compliment or meow at him, and both were unfavorable outcomes. 

“My father,” Donghyuck responded shortly, arms coming to cross over his chest. He wouldn’t mind entertaining his friends under normal circumstances, but being called upon by his father wasn’t exactly a normal circumstance in his case. Since their falling out that inevitably led to Donghyuck moving out, they spoke to each other as little as possible. “I’m not sure what he wants.”

“Maybe he intends to apologize,” Jeno offered with the optimism only a human could possess. It was sweet how he clung to the traits he had possessed when he still walked Earth and as long as Donghyuck was around, not a single soul would attempt to steal those traits from his friend.

Donghyuck scoffed, brushing past his friends impatiently. “When has my father ever apologized for anything in his entire immortal life?”   
  


“Then maybe he has a peace offering,” Jaemin ventured, ignorant to Renjun’s eye roll at that comment. “He’s fond of giving presents to handle arguments, right?”

“He’s not giving me shit,” Donghyuck bit out. 

He could no longer handle their theories, not when anxiety was tying his guts into a knot. As much as he hoped for good news, he figured there was little chance of it, not with the state his family was in. They weren’t on the worst terms, but they certainly weren’t on  _ good  _ terms either. All of his siblings were much too embroiled in their competition to win their father’s heart, and by extension, win the throne. It was no secret that Changmin had been considering descending the throne and all of his children were hoping for a chance to rule.

All of them except for Donghyuck. He had little interest in playing politics, especially not the politics of Hell in which scandals were just as likely to result in the death of a person rather than a career. His big siblings could tear each other apart for the crown, he couldn’t care less, when all he wanted was to live peacefully. As long as he didn’t live in the estate, he didn’t run the risk of becoming one of their pawns, and perhaps that was the only comforting aspect of living apart from his family.

The manor was exactly as it was the day Donghyuck left it. The dark grey interior and dim lighting left shadows crawling around his ankles, and they curled at his feet, welcoming as ever. He pressed his lips together to contain the smile that wanted to form. It had never been the manor he had resented, and to step foot into it once more sent a sensation down his spine, one that reminded him of what it felt like to return  _ home _ . 

Not a single servant was in sight, but it was how Donghyuck preferred it. He didn’t wish to be fussed over, it would only prolong his visit. It was for this reason that he selfishly wished that his mother and sister were out of the house for the day. If they knew he had returned home, they would ask him to stay (for dinner or maybe forever), and while he felt guilty for wanting to avoid them, every moment he spent in their home was another moment anxiety clawed at his insides.

The trip to Changmin’s office wasn’t a long one, but perhaps it would have been for someone who didn’t know how to find it. The manor was charmed with complex magic, the kind of magic that was loyal to who it served. This magic served their family first and foremost, intent on their safety being maintained. 

Waiting in the office, as expected, was none other than the King of Hell himself. Changmin didn’t so much as sit in his chair, as he did lounge in it. At one point, when he was younger, watching his father relax with such little regard for his surroundings sent him into a small fit of fury. Being a bit older, it didn’t bother him so much, knowing that it was more of an act than anything else. Changmin cared all too much not only for his kingdom, but his family, even if he had the oddest ways of showing it.

“Donghyuck,” Changmin greeted his youngest son, sitting up properly in his chair. “I’m glad that you could meet with me.”

“Didn’t have much choice,” Donghyuck pointed out, raising an eyebrow at his father. “It was a summons, not an invitation, father.”   
  


“Even so,” Changmin said, lips tilting up into a slight smile, “I’m happy to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Donghyhuck admitted begrudgingly. Despite all the differences he had with his family, he still loved them, even when they viewed him as the black sheep of the family. He loved them, and in return he was loved, which was more than most could hope for. He supposed in some aspects he was lucky, not that he would ever admit it aloud. 

“Take a seat.” Changmin gestured to the leather upholstered seat that Donghyuck had fallen asleep in several times as a child. As he sunk into the worn leather chair he silently vowed that he would never be that child again. “Have you been well?”

“Cut the shit. What did you call me here for you?” Donghyuck narrowed his eyes, already bored of the small talk. He had never been particularly patient, especially not when it came to matters such as this.

Changmin’s lips twisted into something wry, a sarcastic grin perhaps. Whatever it was, it surely wasn’t pleasant, that much Donghyuck knew. He didn’t have to know his father well, unlike Junmyeon, to know that the man had a bit of a temper on him. Neither of them would own up to it, but there were both too alike for their own good. If they were to ever truly go head to head, Donghyuck was certain it would end entirely too much blood and ruin.

“I’m not sure if you've been made aware, but I’m descending from the throne shortly.” 

Donghyuck had heard the whispers about it, but nothing concrete, and he had always been the type that preferred to get his information straight from the source. He couldn’t quite say that he was surprised, considering the fact that his father was getting older, more jaded. The time had come for Junmyeon to take over for their father.

“What does this have to do with  _ me _ ?” Donghyuck inquired, eyebrows shooting up. He had little interest in the political affairs of his family, so long as they didn’t disrupt his own life. 

“You and your brother have quite the feud going on,” Changmin said calmly, drumming his fingers on the desk’s surface. “I’m a bit worried about how this will affect your brother’s ascension to the throne. That’s exactly why I’ve decided to take a few… precautionary measures.” 

Donghyuck’s eyes narrowed into slits, something stirring in his gut, alerting him to the fact that he was not going to like where this was going. It was due to these situations that he had decided to distance himself from his family to begin with, much to his sister and mother’s heartbreak. There was only so much political intrigue one could take before they were bored to death or, rather, driven to murder. 

“What did you do?” Donghyuck demanded, leaning forward, a menacing scowl forming on his face. On anyone outside of his family, he would have had someone running by this point. His father merely grinned, teeth bright and perfect.

“Don’t you think it’s time for you to settle down, Hyuckie?” Changmin purred, leaning back in his seat. He didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the blood lust in his youngest son's eyes. “I think I’ve found someone for you. A human. I know how you love the human world. Won’t it be so lovely to live there part time?” 

_ Check and mate,  _ Donghyuck thought, dumbstruck by just how many steps ahead of him Changmin was. 

*

It seemed that Changmin had spared no expenses when it came to purchasing an apartment for Donghyuck and his apparent human fiance. He had traveled to the human world -  _ alone  _ \- only days after being informed of the life change from his father. Under normal circumstances, he would have fought this every step of the way, but he had to admit that he was a bit curious about the human world, about living with a human.

A cellular phone was tucked into the back pocket of his jeans, the human’s phone number programmed in it. He was waiting on a text from the human, one that would let him know when they had arrived so he could let them into  _ their  _ new apartment. The thought nearly had him rolling his eyes and he found that he was almost glad he hadn’t invited any of his siblings along; Yerim would have laughed at his misfortune. Junmyeon would have told him that it was an honor to serve their family.

The very thought of his eldest brother attempting to turn the situation into something it wasn’t had his teeth grinding together. 

Donghyuck wandered into the biggest bedroom, already furnished with a king side bed and dark wood dressers. Despite the furniture, the room felt awfully bare, not a single personal touch having been added to. His father hadn’t seemed to bother, but perhaps the human would want to add something to it, to make it more homey. Donghyuck himself had only brought the bare necessities from home in Hell, feeling a bit like a child that was forced to split his time between two divorced parents.

There was only one other room in the apartment, not for Donghyuck, but rather for the human’s sister. His father had explained that the entire deal had come about due to her declining health, how the human and his sister were all they had left of each other, and he had begged with the ether to allow her to live. Unfortunately for the human, the wrong kind of being had answered his prayers. 

Donghyuck had begun to make his way towards the conjoined bathroom when his phone vibrated and a knock echoed through the shockingly vast apartment. He sighed and attempted to convince himself that there was no better time than the present to face what his new life was to look like. 

At the door stood two humans, one a male and the other a female. The male was tall, well built, his features a bit pinched from what Donghyuck could only assume was stress. Having a dying younger sister ought to be stressful, he figured. Despite the haunted gaze, the human was attractive enough, with pouty lips and a bone structure Donghyuck could admit he appreciated.

The sister was a mirror image, except her expression was much more sour, as if  _ she  _ was the one being put out. Perhaps she was, seeing as she was dying. She was pretty, even with her pallid skin and dark circles ringing her eyes. Her hair and her eyes were a few shades darker than her brother’s, but her lips were also pouty and her cheek bones were high, only accentuated by the lack of weight on her body.

“Hi,” the human said, a small smile gracing his face. His hand extended, large and soft-looking, waiting for Donghyuck to shake it presumably. “I’m Johnny. And you’re… Donghyuck, right?”    
  
“Lucky guess,” Donghyuck purred, eyeing up that hand with a hint of apprehension. He didn’t have much experience in dealing with humans, although he was loath to admit it. He’d always had such a…  _ morbid  _ curiosity about them.

The sister scoffed, shouldering past the two men, presumably to inspect her new home. Already, Donghyuck could tell that she was going to be such a joy to live with, especially with that attitude. Johnny looked inclined to apologize for her, and Donghyuck quickly waved him off with a small roll of the eyes. How many times had he been that sibling, one of his brothers stepping in to apologize for some ill perceived behavior? 

“Have you… been waiting here long for us?” Johnny inquired, seemingly unsure how to hold a conversation with a Prince of Hell. Donghyuck wasn’t sure that he could blame the poor human for the hesitance and uncertainty, seeing as the entire situation must be quite the shock.

“Not that long,” Donghyuck reassured, leading them into the kitchen that was practically shining from all the cleaner that must have been used in it prior to the apartment being sold. “Your sister, how is she doing?”   
  
Johnny seemed to draw in on himself even more than before. His sister, Donghyuck realized, would be a touchy subject. Not that he hadn’t assumed that already, but the shadows in Johnny’s eyes was the true confirmation that he needed. For Donghyuck, his only sister was a salvation, someone who acted as a buffer between him and the rest of their siblings, but for Johnny and Olivia all they had was each other. There was no buffer, nothing and no one to catch them during fall outs, not a single soul for Johnny to lean on when Olivia was too far gone.

Not for the first time, Donghyuck found himself pitying a human.    
  
“Do you like coffee?” Donghyuck attempted instead, searching for some kind of neutral territory that wouldn’t lead him into a field full of landmines. This question had Johnny nodding his head furiously, plump curving into something resembling a smile, and something in Donghyuck’s chest loosened just a little. The sudden relief had him saying, “I think our sister’s would get along well.”   
  
He didn’t get the opportunity to see Johnny’s reaction to his words as he had already turned, busying himself with the coffee pot. It was much higher tech than he was accustomed to as he didn ‘t often spend time in the human realm and never for extended periods of time either. He hadn’t been the one to fall in love with a human, to grovel to their father for his mercy and his aid. Humility had never been a good look on his siblings, and yet, Ten had worn it well in that moment he was on his knees, heart in his hands. 

Donghyuck hadn’t seen Ten in so long.

“You have a sister?” Johnny’s question interrupted his train of thought, perhaps for the better considering the road it was about to go down. 

Donghyuck nodded, fumbling with the coffee machine enough that Johnny gently nudged him out of the way and took over. If Donghyuck had been feeling more like himself, more prideful, he might have engaged in an argument with Johnny over it, but he was feeling a bit more generous that day and allowed it. He didn’t want to scare off the human just yet.

“Yerim is the second youngest and even bigger pain in the ass than I am,” Donghyuck said, lips quirked up slightly at the mere thought of what a handful his older sister was. Yerim would probably like Olivia, if only because the human girl seemed to have a problem with him. 

“You’re making me a bit worried to meet your siblings,” Johnny joked, but there was an undercurrent to his tone, one that made it clear the human  _ was _ a bit nervous to meet the other royals of the Underworld. Donghyuck knew better than to be amused, as Johnny  _ should  _ be worried. 

“We’ll spend most of our time here. You won’t have to worry about them too much.” He didn’t mention that the avoidance was as much for Johnny as it was for himself. 

After a brief moment of silence, the only sounds being that of the coffee machine, Donghyuck asked, “Are you afraid of ghosts?”   
  
What he really wanted to ask Johnny was,  _ Are you afraid of me? _

Johnny, leaning against the counter with the sleeves of his sweater rolled up and showing off his rather nice forearms, seemed to consider the question for a moment. Eyebrows pulled together, a distant look in his eyes. Donghyuck hadn’t really thought it was too hard of a question, but considering Death was as familiar with Johnny as an old friend, he could understand why the concept of ghosts might be something that required some thought. 

“No, I don’t think I am,” Johnny said softly, his eyes finally focusing on Donghyuck once more. “They were just people once too, after all.” He paused then, “And you’re just a boy, Donghyuck. It’s wrong that your father took your fate into his hands. I hope that living with me won’t be too bad. As for Olivia, I can’t make many promises.” 

Donghyuck swallowed around a hard ball of emotion that had formed inside his throat. Johnny was much, much nicer than he had expected. He thought that he would walk into this situation finding two spiteful, resentful humans; that Johnny and his sister would be bitter at the fact this was the only option they had left. 

“Well, good,” he finally managed to get out, after a brief internal intermission in which he recollected himself, “because I have a friend who’s a ghost. He’ll want to visit. I promise that he’s very nice.”

“Perhaps when I’m a ghost we can be friends as well.”

These words came from Olivia, who had stepped into the kitchen doorway without either of them noticing. Her dark eyes, nearly black in color, darted between the two men, as if she was searching for something tangible between them. She must have come up short, as she finally stepped into the kitchen, hands tucked into her hoodie. 

“Hey, Liv,” Johnny said and the smile that he offered her was more of a grimace than anything else. “Are you hungry? We were making some coffee, and there’s not much groceries yet, but I can whip you up something.”   
  
“I’m fine.”

Olivia sat herself at the breakfast bar, wincing slightly as she did so. Donghyuck didn’t have to possess the healing powers of some of his siblings or friends to know that she was in a great amount of pain, everyday, every single moment, and that she was just very good at hiding it from her brother. 

His chest burned and Donghyuck realized that he truly hated his father.   
  
Changmin had promised to keep Olivia alive, he had never promised to make her healthy. Donghyuck would have promised Olivia a long and happy life, but his father had never been that generous. 

“I could go for some food, actually,” Donghyuck spoke up, without truly thinking about it.

Johnny’s face seemed to light up, delighted at the fact that he would have a valid excuse to make food and cajole Olivia into eating something as well. It wasn’t Johnny that Donghyuck looked at, however, but rather the human’s younger sister, who was watching him with night-dark eyes and two decades of pain. 

For a moment, he thought he saw something like gratefulness flicker in her eyes, but then she was looking away and he figured he had merely imagined it. 

*

“Are you sure they won’t be afraid of us?”   
  
This had to be Jeno’s fifth time asking, and each time, Donghyuck had replied with a firm no, they wouldn’t be afraid, not after looking Death in the eye so many times. And Jeno was much too cute and too sweet to be afraid of anyways. Jaemin and Renjun with their sharp eyes and even sharper tongues were the ones to fear. The demon boys were beautiful, but it was a facade for what lay beneath. Donghyuck had warned them to behave and they had merely grinned, eager to sink their teeth into new toys.

Olivia had been sprawled on the couch when Donghyuck had led his friends into the apartment, rolling his eyes at Jeno’s comment. The ghost didn’t seem to notice, still worrying his lip as he fretted over the humans would react to his presence. Olivia, at least, didn’t seem to notice or care. She remained prone on the couch, eyes glazed over and focused on the TV.

She didn’t talk much to Donghyuck, or anyone other than Johnny, for that matter. She spent a good amount of time sleeping, as he figured most sick people did. She didn’t seem to enjoy it much, though, emerging from her room with a twisted mouth and dark eyes. He still couldn’t tell if she approved of him or not, and he figured it didn’t truly matter as she didn’t get an opinion on how this deal played out.   
  
“That’s Olivia,” Donghyuck explained to his friends, waving a hand in her direction a bit lazily, “Johnny’s sister.”   
  
“Johnny, your fiance, right?” Jaemin asked, a bit wickedly.   
  
It was these words that drew Olivia’s attention. Her eyes narrowed on the group of boys, her lips twisting into that displeased expression she so often wore. She observed them for all of a moment before shutting her eyes and pulling her blanket up to the chin.   
  
“Well, isn’t she rather pleasant,” Renjun drawled, his lips quirking up slightly at how he had just been so very obviously ignored. Olivia’s own lips seemed to quirk up too, as if she was satisfied at the fact she had driven the visitors away.

Donghyuck stuck his tongue out at her before gripping Jeno’s unnaturally cold hand and leading his friends into the kitchen. Most days, this was where Johnny thrived. They didn’t have enough space for an office, the extra room in the apartment having been given to Olivia as a bedroom, but this didn’t seem to bother Johnny. He had made their kitchen table his workspace during the day, and when the sun sank low in the sky, staining the earth gold and red and pink, he would collect his supplies and dump them in the bedroom. He often made dinner for the three of them, even though Donghyuck insisted take out was okay. 

Johnny hadn’t yet started on dinner, the sun was still hanging high in the sky, bleaching the world with a pale gold-grey light as a cold front began to roll in. The light from the window behind him seemed to create a halo of light around Johnny’s head as he squinted at his laptop and tapped his fingers on his coffee mug.

Donghyuck couldn’t help but think that, for a human, he was a bit beautiful. 

He allowed himself to admire the man for a mere moment before clearing his throat to draw Johnny’s attention away from the laptop. Johnny’s head jerked up suddenly, clearly not having heard them enter the kitchen.

“You should have come got me,” Johnny said a bit scornfully, realizing he hadn’t been there to greet their guests. Donghyuck had been raised to be a gracious host, but Johnny surely had him beat, fussing over this visit for days leading up to it. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that the demons and ghost simply did not care about such things.

“This is Johnny,” Donghyuck introduced his fiance as if his friends hadn’t the slightest idea who he was. 

Donghyuck had told Johnny a bit about his friends prior to the visit, but there was really no preparing anybody for this group.

Jeno was the first to bound over to Johnny, eyes curving up into crescents as he smiled at the human brighter than the sun trickling in through the window. Sometimes it was hard to picture Jeno in life because he was so radiant as a ghost, that he must have been hard to bear as a human, full of energy and vivacity. As a ghost, he was still energetic and lovely, but he was a shadow of what he once was. It was hard to consider, to think about, as Donghyuck didn’t like to think about his friend being any less than he was.

“Hi Johnny,” Jeno chirped, throwing a cold and glowing hand for Johnny to shake, “it’s nice to meet you. I’m Jeno.” 

“And he is the only one that is slightly house trained or civil,” Donghyuck added, with a small glare in Renjun and Jaemin’s direction. Neither of them seemed to notice, much too busy observing Johnny, similar to a cat circling and sniffing person before it made its final judgement.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Johnny said in that painfully diplomatic way of his. He didn’t even flinch as he took Jeno’s hands, which were nearly unbearably cold for even Donghyuck to hold, so he couldn’t even imagine what it might be like for a human.

Renjun must have decided that he was no longer weary of Johnny, or perhaps all he needed was to witness Johnny treat Jeno with kindness, as he plopped down on the kitchen table and grinned at the human. He swung his feet and leaned in close to Johnny, as if he might truly sniff him, but hovered only a few inches away.

“Have you been kind to our Donghyuckie?” Renjun questioned with a slight cock of his head. When Renjun decided to interrogate someone, he became a dog with a bone, second only to Cerberus with his determination. Donghyuck briefly considered feeding his friend to his pet.

“Renjun.” It was a warning, the only Donghyuck would give, which all of his friends knew.

To his credit, Johnny took it all in a stride, explaining how nice it had been to live with someone other than his sister for the first time in years. Renjun was startled, to say the least, that his normal scare tactic had been relatively useless on Johnny. Jaemin might as well have been purring for how pleased he looked at the fact that something was able to shock his lover for the first time in a long while. He was enjoying it so much so that he had even forgotten to introduce himself.

“And what about you?” Johnny asked lightheartedly, shooting a smile in Jaemin’s direction. “Do you talk? Or maybe have a name?”   
  
“Oh, yes.” Jaemin’s tone of voice immediately had Donghyuck tensing from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. His hand stilled from where it had been lazily stroking through Jeno’s hair. Jaemin was plotting something and it would not be good for Donghyuck, not at all. “I  _ do  _ talk and I  _ do  _ have a name. It’s Jaemin, by the way. I was just wondering about if Hyuck had asked if you would be returning with him for the coronation next month. He’ll be staying for a week. Will you be joining him?”   
  
If it were not for the fact that Donghyuck would never harm Johnny or Olivia, he would have burst into hell-fire right then and there if only to silence Jaemin for eternity. 

Donghyuck had been waiting for the right moment to mention it, to find out if it was something that Johnny would even be interested in intending. He had also been waiting closer to the date in order to assess Olivia’s health at the time; to see if she would be able to withstand whatever chaos and drama came with returning to the Underworld during a political upset. 

“That wasn’t for you to ask,” Donghyuck said quietly. Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at that tone of voice, the one that Donghyuck so rarely used as it reminded him too much of his father. 

Jaemin was the only who didn’t seem afraid, who was meeting Donghyuck’s gaze dead on. “Were you ever going to ask? Or were you going to continue to find excuses to hide your humans away from your family?” 

“They’re not my humans! Do not refer to them as if they are pets or toys!” Donghyuck snarled, hands coming down on the table, causing some of Johnny’s papers to slip to the ground. Donghyuck could feel Jeno’s icy fingers on his shoulders, an attempt to ground him and calm him, but the anger was fast rising. 

“Do not treat them as such!” Jaemin bit back, standing up with his own hands on the table. As much as there was fire licking through Donghyuck’s veins, there was an inferno forming in Jaemin’s eyes, a sort of disobedience that Changmin would beat Donghyuck for allowing to form. 

Before the fight could escalate further, the entire room froze once more as Olivia entered the kitchen, bleary eyes taking in the situation. Her blanket was wrapped around her shoulders like a cape, and beneath the mass of it, Donghyuck could see her thin body shivering. Her jaw was tight, as if she was fighting the urge to say something or perhaps preventing her teeth from clattering together. 

“Liv.” Johnny stood up quickly, his chair falling to the ground. 

Olivia held up one hand, which silenced him and rooted him to his spot easily. The young girl strolled over to the table, eyes darting between Jaemin and Donghyuck, her gaze so perceptive that both of the men squirmed in their seats. There was something about being perceived that sat very uncomfortably with a person. 

“You should have invited us,” Olivia said very quietly, but not gently, “And if not  _ us _ , then at least my brother. He’s your fiance, Donghyuck, and you will want him by your side.” She paused and then her gaze was swinging to Jaemin, her eyes darker and more demanding than any demon they had ever encountered. “And  _ you _ . You had better learn your place. Do not speak for Donghyuck and do not fight with him on matters that are close to your heart. Or I will kick you out. Maybe I will still kick you out for waking me. It’s rude. As  _ fuck _ .”

She didn’t seem to have much else to say, shuffling from the room and down the hall to her bedroom if the sound of a door shutting was not indication enough.

The kitchen remained silent for many more moments. Johnny’s hand came to rest on Donghyuck’s shoulder, and he had known it was him immediately, which perhaps should have been alarming but instead was comforting. To know someone by their touch alone, someone that he lived with and slept in the same bed as, was really just a comfort.

“Dude,” Renjun said after what felt about an eternity, “Your sister-in-law is scary as hell.”   
  


There was a pause and then laughter filled the kitchen at the same time as the sunset coated in gilded pink and red. 

*

Donghyuck had sincerely expected Johnny and Olivia to be a bit more disconcerted by the oddities of the Underworld, but neither one of them had much to say. They were both so busy pressing their noses to the window, taking in all there was to see. They hadn’t even made any comments on a fact that a carriage was bringing them to Changmin’s estate rather than a car. Although, they had both looked a little green in the face after Donghyuck had used his magic to transport them to his kingdom. 

Both of them seemed just fine as they drew upon the sprawling estate. 

A glance out the window had Donghyuck cursing up a storm, however.

Johnny looked vaguely amused as he rested a hand on Donghyuck’s knee, leaning in to whisper to him, “Are you okay? You look a bit nervous.”   
  


“I’m fine.” Donghyuck sighed, a bit petulantly. He rested a hand over Johnny’s, becoming more used to the man’s touch than he would care to admit. It wasn’t even a matter of him being used to it, but rather the fact that he  _ liked  _ Johnny’s touch. “And I am nervous. Just not for myself.”

“You’re nervous for Liv and I.” It wasn’t a question, merely a fact. 

Johnny and him had become too familiar with each other in just a couple months' time, it was a bit disconcerting truly. Donghyuck thought of Ten and Kun, how their love seemed to have blossomed in the span of a few months, and how they still looked at each other as if the sun rose and set with one another. 

Donghyuck had only lived with Olivia and Johnny for a couple months, and yet, they were so deeply ingrained in his life at this point that he wasn’t sure what life would look like without them. He woke up every morning to Johnny’s face smushed into his pillow, muscled arm thrown over Donghyuck’s waist despite the fact they slept on opposite sides of the bed always. As Johnny showered, Donghyuck would make coffee and check on Olivia (who always promptly told Donghyuck to fuck off, though lately it came with a sleepy smile). 

The day was filled with bickering, chores, and other domestic doings that Donghyuck had always thought that he would hate. Except, when it was the siblings, he didn’t hate them at all. Watching a movie before bed, sandwiched between the brother and sister, drifting off onto Johnny’s shoulder as Olivia’s head found its place in Donghyuck’s lap. Grocery shopping with Johnny, the human shaking his head at the sugary cereals and candies Donghyuck tried to sneak into the cart. Sitting with Johnny at the kitchen table as he worked, doodling on official documents and screeching as Johnny chased him around the apartment for it.

Sprawled on the hardwood floor, attempting to catch his breath as Johnny hovered over him, doing the same thing. Johnny’s honey and mahogany eyes sparking in the sunlight that flooded over his handsome face, his pouty lips lifting in a half-smile that made Donghyuck’s heart flutter. Johnny’s hand closing around his arms to help him to his feet, then running a hand through Donghyuck’s hair to fix it. 

Donghyuck swallowed hard. He wasn’t just nervous, he was so incredibly fucked. 

He was even more thoroughly fucked with the way all six of his siblings were standing in front of the estate, watching the carriage’s arrival with hungry eyes and anticipatory grins. Donghyuck almost had the urge to send Olivia and Johnny back to the human realm, if only it meant keeping them safe from his siblings and their ill intentions. 

He wasn’t given the chance to do so as the carriage door was wrenched open and a head of dark hair was sticking its head inside.

It was no surprise that the fact that was peering up at him with scrutiny was his only sister, Yerim. Her dark waves fell away from her face, revealing her even darker eyes that were alight with the kind of mischief that Donghyuck usually reveled in, but in the moment, had him reaching out protectively towards Johnny. This movement did not go unnoticed by his sister and a look of feral delight seemed to pass over her face. 

“Baby brother,” she cooed, reaching for his face. He attempted to hide behind Johnny, but the human was moving away, watching the interaction with a wide grin. 

A cry of “ _ Traitor! _ ” left Donghyuck’s lips before his face was promptly being squished by his elder sister. For an entire minute, Yerim was squishing and pulling at her brother’s cheeks, babbling and cooing over how handsome and grown up he looked. Donghyuck prayed for lightning to strike him down, if only to end his agony. As it turned out, his savior came in the form of something much worse than lightning.

“Yerim, move.” 

Donghyuck squawked at the sound of that voice, attempting to scramble over Johnny for the opposite door. He could envision his escape, slipping through that door and running all the way to Tartarus, where not one of his siblings would dare venture to find him. This escape was abruptly foiled by Johnny’s hands gripping his hips, firmly planting him on Johnny’s lap. Across from them, Olivia looked as if she was thoroughly enjoying this. It must have been nice for her to see someone other than herself get fussed over for once.

Taking Yerim’s place in the doorway was none other than Jungwoo, third youngest out of the bunch and the biggest flirt of them all. His rabbit-fur soft locks flopped over his forehead, nearly obscuring his obsidian eyes, but not enough for Donghyuck to miss the light of mischief in his eyes. Donghyuck kicked out one long leg, pressing his foot to his brother’s chest in order to stop him from coming any further into the carriage.

“Allow me to get out of the damn carriage first, won’t you?” Donghyuck hissed, putting a fair amount of strength into holding his brother back. Jungwoo was taller, and stronger, making this a bit of an unfair fight. “Also, we’ve never been this kind of family! Don’t start pretending now for Johnny and Olivia’s sake.”   
  
“I don’t know, it’s quite amusing,” Olivia drawled, producing a glare from Donghyuck. She held her hands up in a surrender sort of gesture but her smile didn’t dim.

“You and Johnny look rather cozy,” Jungwoo purred, assessing the way Donghyuck was perched on Johnny’s lap. Donghyuck bared his teeth, daring his brother to say anything else about the situation. Jungwoo giggled and took a step back, making space for them to step out of the carriage. 

Donghyuck stepped out first, then turned to help Olivia out. Rather than giving thanks, she slapped Donghyuck’s chest, giving him a scalding glare. She didn’t like to be reminded of her fragility, but sometimes Donghyuck couldn’t help but want to protect her. Maybe it was Johnny’s overprotective brother senses rubbing off onto him. 

Lining the front of the estate, patiently awaiting their turn to greet Donghyuck, was the rest of his brothers. Ten, with his sharp feline eyes and daring grin; Doyoung, with a scowl and glass of wine in one hand; Kyungsoo, with his unreadable expression and intelligent gaze; and then last but not least, Junmyeon, hands tucked into his pockets in an attempt to look casual which he was anything but. Their mother and father were nowhere in sight, which was both a relief and also a cause for suspicion. 

Despite the animosity that tended to linger between them, Donghyuck directed a smile in Junmyeon’s direction, strolling directly towards him. “I thought you would be busy with preparation and politics and all that other boring bullshit.”   
  
“Did you think I wouldn’t make time for you?” Junmyeon asked simply, his eyes a much lighter color than the rest of their siblings, more similar in color to Donghyuck’s. 

“Yes,” Donghyuck answered truthfully, noticing how Yerim and Jungwoo had herded Johnny and Olivia towards Ten and Doyoung in an attempt to keep them away from the carnage. He made a mental note to thank those two later. 

“Why are you so convinced that I hate you?” Junmyeon’s question was much more careful than the previous one, as if he was aware how very badly this situation could go. As if he was aware that this entire arrangement between Johnny and Donghyuck was made on his behalf, that he was so special to their father that Changmin would have burned the world to a crisp for him.

A bad taste coated Donghyuck’s mouth.

“Because no one else in our family has cast me into Tartarus and left me to rot.”

Beside Junmyeon, Kyunsgoo had stiffened, his dark eyes watching his eldest brother carefully, something akin to anger flickering in his gaze. A short distance away, his other siblings had frozen, their eyes on their youngest and eldest brother even as they continued to converse with Johnny and Olivia. Only Yerim had been made aware of the event that had shattered Donghyuck’s trust in Junmyeon and Changmin, and judging by the reactions around him, the others had not been told the truth of why Donghyuck had left the family estate.

“You were going to kill our father,” Junmyeon said as if that explained everything.

The smile that spread across Donghyuck’s face felt wrong, it felt as if someone had forced his mouth open and refused to let go. “It’s said that only a brave man stands up to a tyrant. I suppose you were never that brave, Myeonie.” 

There was a sharp inhale from Kyungsoo, but Donghyuck was already moving past them, coming to stand in the wide doorway of the manor. He turned, resting his eyes on Johnny and Olivia. He didn’t need to beckon for them, as they both politely ended their conversations and came to follow him. The weary expression had returned to Olivia’s eyes, and there was something like fury that seemed to make their politeness considerably icy. They had not known how bad his relationship was with some of his siblings, and they couldn’t have known, because he absolutely refused to speak about it.

Childhood trauma was still childhood trauma even if you were a demonic prince. 

“Let’s go meet Cerberus, shall we? He’s the best member of this family, anyways. Always loyal, always loving.” The forced exuberance in his voice grated against his own ears, but he couldn’t help it, he had slipped into a skin that was much harder to remove than it was to put on.

“Donghyuck,” Johnny whispered, reaching for his hand. Donghyuck didn’t respond, but he did take Johnny’s hand, leading him deeper into the manor and into his own heart. 

*

Johnny had known that Donghyuck was not on good terms with most of his family, but he had not known the extent of the wound they had left on the poor boy. From the interaction he had just witnessed, he was certain that Donghyuck hadn’t even had the time to heal this wound into a scar yet, that it was continuously bleeding as it was picked open over and over. Sometimes, this was how Johnny felt about his parents death, but he’d always had Olivia. 

Donghyuck had been alone. 

As they were led through the winding halls of the manor, Donghyuck remained silent, as if all of his energy had been sapped out of him from that single conversation. For the entire time they had known Donghyuck, he had always seemed like a blaze of fire, unable to be contained, completely and utterly wild. That burning fire seemed to be simmering now, as if Junmyeon had put it out just from speaking with him. The thought made Johnny angrier than it probably should’ve.

The expression on Olivia’s face was still murderous, and although she was sickly human, courtiers and servants ran in the opposite direction when Olivia’s glare turned upon them. Donghyuck didn’t seem to notice this, caught up in something of his own mind, or else Johnny was certain that he would have been laughing, joining her in scaring off these horribly nosy demons and ghosts. 

Finally, they stopped before a door, much taller and wider than anything door Johnny had seen. The wood was a deep brown, nearly black, carvings in the wood gilded with gold. Flowers and vines twisted along the surface, and there wasn’t a single door knob or handle that Johnny could see. He was about to ask how they would enter, when Donghyuck laid his palm over a rose in the center of the door and a  _ pop  _ was heard. 

Donghyuck grinned over his shoulder at Johnny and Olivia before pushing the door open, entering the room. The room was concealed in shadows until Donghyuck waved a hand, lighting dozens of lanterns that seemed to hover in the air with no string or wiring present. Johnny had always known that Donghyuck was made of magic and hell-fire, but to see the use of it was leaving Johnny a bit breathless. 

The breath left his body once more at the sight that was laid out before him.

Curled up on the floor, as peaceful as if it were merely a mirage, was a gigantic dog that Johnny had only seen in illustrations prior to this. All three of the dog’s heads were resting on separate pillows, snoozing quietly, having not noticed the intrusion just yet. It’s paws looked almost as big as Johnny’s head and it’s head had to be longer than the length of his arm, at least. 

“Cerby,” Donghyuck cooed, skipping across the blanket strewn floor as if he were facing a tiny kitten and not a massive hellhound. 

“ _ Donghyuck _ ,” Johnny hissed in warning, reaching out to attempt to grab Donghyuck’s wrist, but the prince was already gone, kneeling in the mound of blankets that surrounded the hound’s body. Olivia was watching the entire scene with a white face, her eyes round in a way they rarely ever were.

  
  


Donghyuck reached out, resting a hand on the hound’s snout, and before either of the Seo siblings could cry out in warning, the dog was opening his eyes. Rather than losing his breath, this time Johnny was holding it, waiting to see what the dog might do. Olivia was wincing away, as if awaiting the moment Donghyuck was shredded apart.

No such thing occurred.

The head in which Donghyuck had begun to stroke, jerked upright before nuzzling against Donghyuck’s cheek and licking a long line up the prince’s face. Donghyuck let out a disgusted noise, but he was beaming, perhaps wider and brighter than Johnny had ever seen. The dog and Donghyuck melted into one another, familiar friends that had gone a long while without seeing one another.

“Johnny, Livvy, this is Cerberus. He’s my pet,” Donghyuck explained, as he dodged all three heads attempts at licking his face. 

“Where did you  _ find  _ him?” Olivia asked, taking a hesitant step forward. “I thought he was only a myth.”

“Isn’t the Devil and Hell a myth too?” Donghyuck pointed out, before catching one of those giant heads in his hands and pressing a sweet kiss to the snout. “I found him in Tartarus and I brought him. He is mine as much as I am his. He protects me and he protects this manor. Oh, and he loves scratches behind his ears.” 

“Did he protect you while you were in Tartarus?” Johnny asked quietly, carefully.

Donghyuck immediately folded in on himself, that bright expression disappearing and a wall slamming over his emotions. Johnny immediately regretted asking the question, but he had to know; he was desperate to learn what kind of horrors Junmyeon may have incurred upon Donghyuck. Donghyuck, the youngest of all the siblings; Donghyuck, the brightest and kindest of them all. 

“Let’s not talk about that,” Donghyuck said shortly. He dug around the blankets before procuring a bag of what looked to be treats, holding them out for Olivia. “Let’s spoil Cerby before we have to get back to family time.” 

Johnny watched from the doorway as Donghyuck taught Olivia how to feed Cerberus treats, and then which places he liked to be pet best. Both of them had a lightness to them that didn’t match their usual selves, the weight that they normally carried around with them. Their laughter echoed through the chamber and Cerberus’ eager howls joined the giggles shortly. For all the illustrations of Hell that Johnny had seen, he had wished this was how it would have been portrayed instead.

He wished that the Underworld would allow the humans to see the sweet-faced prince playing with a sickly human girl and his three-headed pet dog. That there was a painting of the exact moment of Donghyuck turning, reaching out a hand to Johnny with a smile that could have melted anything including Johnny’s heart.

It was that very moment that Johnny knew. He knew that Olivia was not the only one he would have made a deal with Changmin for. That this shunned prince of Hell had found a home in Johnny’s heart.

*

They’d not been in the manor long before Changmin was summoning Donghyuck and Johnny to his office. Yerim was the one to have found them and delivered the news, a grave look on her face as she did so. Out of all Donghyuck’s siblings, she was the only one that Johnny and Olivia seemed to even vaguely trust, and it was for that reason that Donghyuck was comfortable allowing her to escort Olivia to her room. 

Before she left to take Olivia to rest, Yerim paused and offered Donghyuck the only gift that she could manage. “Mom is home, Hyuckie. She wants to see you, too.”

Donghyuck could not remember the last time he had seen his mother or felt her hug, but he figured if he could get through this meeting with his father, then he might manage to do both. He offered Yerim a grim smile, before gripping Johnny’s arm and leading him through the labyrinth that ended at his father’s office. The door was propped open slightly, as it only was when Changmin was expecting a visitor.

Donghyuck stepped inside first, as if he could shield Johnny from all of his father’s evil and misdoings. 

“Donghyuck,” Changmin greeted his son and there was a hint of disappointment in his tone, a tiredness in his eyes. “You got into it with Junmyeon, already?”

“Let’s not do this,” Donghyuck said, crossing his arms and standing at the wall as Johnny slowly sunk into one of the seats by the desk. Donghyuck gritted his teeth, but he very well couldn’t tell Johnny what to do, not if he wanted his father to know how he felt about the human. 

“Excuse me?” Changmin tilted his head, raising a singular eyebrow, a slight grin forming that betrayed his amusement at the situation.

“Let’s not pretend that we are a happy family. Let’s not do the whole father-son charade. Not today, not ever. You are still the same man you have always been and you are still afraid that I’ll change my mind and actually go through with killing you. We are not a family, Changmin, we are prisoners. Stop acting like this is anything different and don’t you  _ dare  _ use Johnny or Olivia as playthings because you're bored now that the power is being handed over. I don’t have the patience to act as you want me to today and if that means being thrown into Tartarus again then  _ so be it _ . If you do, if you throw me back there, Yerim will tell everyone. She will expose you and Junmyeon and then your shitty little immortal life will be  _ ruined _ !”

By the time Donghyuck was done with his rant, he was breathing heavily, tears gleaming in his eyes. To say all of this, to admit to his father what he never had before, not even the day he had left the estate and consequently, the family, was true catharsis. 

Changmin had gone still. So entirely still that Donghyuck wasn’t entirely sure his father was even breathing, his hands fisted on the desk, knuckles white from how hard he was restraining himself. He wouldn’t hurt Donghyuck, not unless he wanted his entire kingdom and family to know the truth of what had happened on the day that Donghyuck had left. 

“What do you  _ want _ , Donghyuck?” His father asked finally, voice tight from frustration. 

“I already have what I want,” Donghyuck said, returning to that cool easy demeanor he had worn when speaking to Junmyeon. “There is just one last thing I’d like from you before you step down and pass on your power.”   
  


“What? What do you want?” Changmin slumped in his chair, eyeing his son with a true weariness. 

Donghyuck’s grin was so wide it hurt his face. “I want Johnny as my official consort and I want Olivia fully healed. She doesn’t just get to survive, she gets to  _ live _ .” 

From where he sat, Johnny truly recognized the power that Donghyuck held, recognized what a merciful king he would have been if not for the fact that he had no interest in it. 

“In return, you will leave your brother alone. You will not overthrow him, or scheme against him, or even spread a single rumor about him. Do you understand?” Changmin hissed out, narrowing his eyes at his youngest.

“Yes. Fine.” Donghyuck was still grinning, burning brighter and more wicked than ever. “Oh, also, be nicer to mom. Before she leaves your sorry ass.”

“Fuck’s sake, Donghyuck, fine!” Changmin barked. “Just leave well enough alone, won’t you?”   
  


Donghyuck laughed and it was both beautiful and awful at the same time. “Say it. Say deal.”

“ _ Deal _ ,” Changmin bit out, “Now get out!”   
  


_ Check and mate _ , Donghyuck thought as he gripped Johnny’s hand tightly and left the office, carrying himself through the halls in a way that he had not managed to in many, many years.

**Author's Note:**

> ohmygoodness!!! HELLO!! this definitely didn't turn out as i thought it would but i poured months of my love and my heart and my soul into this fic and i cannot express to you how much i love it. the ending may seem a bit lackluster considering johnny and donghyuck's relationship is in the air and there's a lot of questions left unanswered but: i plan on following up with an epilogue and other oneshots! if you were wondering, by the way, johnny's sister IS olivia hye and the disease that she is addled with is actually colon cancer. 
> 
> thank you so so so much for reading ! this fic has been my baby for so long and to get the chance to share it with you is a true delight.


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